An Unplanned Excursion
by ShadowSpires
Summary: Rushing to get home, Jason encounters an unfortunate and unwelcome diversion. JayTim.


It had been an incredibly long day. An interminable *month*, to be quite honest. 31 days exactly, far from the promised seven. He was in so much trouble. He'd seen his team to their hotel, and watched as Roy collapsed on the bed without even removing his boots. Even the unflagging Tameranian had been drooping. She had implored him to stay with them for the night, but he couldn't. He was *so close.* He'd been determined to make it back to Gotham tonight, no matter how tired he was.

He'd already been away too long as it was; one week turning into two, then four as they tracked Vladimir Kharkov across the globe. He hadn't been willing to let the man get away, though, not with his list of crimes. It had been bitter, bloody satisfaction to finally track him down in some dirt-poor, hell-forsaken pit, somewhere East of nowhere and West of who gives a shit. Jason had barely known what continent they were on, by the time they had finally cornered him. He'd nearly pulled the trigger anyway when the man surrendered, begging, but had held it together long enough to get him to the nearest U.S. embassy. They would deliver him to the right people. and if they didn't…well, thats what the tracking chip he'd injected him with was for. He'd have given the system a chance, like he promised, but old Vlad wouldn't get away with his crimes, regardless.

Jason had been aware enough to know he didn't recognize the characters on the signs and to bless the universality of English as he got them all plane tickets, but not much beyond that. New York had been the closest to home he'd been able to get them on short notice, so it had been better than nothing. He could never sleep on public transportation, so he had kept vigil while Roy curled up into Kory's side, and the princess nearly encased him in her arms and hair, both of them sleeping fitfully. Now as he watched the roof across from him - his next landing point - sway in front of him, Jason cursed himself for seven kinds of fool. He should have stayed in New York, slept for a couple hours, *then* headed back to Gotham.  
Tim would be no happier with him for getting himself killed with this stupid stunt than he would be if he was one day later.  
He'd *had* to make it back before midnight though. He wasn't going to miss-.  
Furtive movement in the alley below caught his attention. Jason really wished it was unusual to see a man dressed like a reject from Harry Potter skulking in Gotham alleys, but it wasn't. Christ, he had the long grey beard, and the wand and everything.

Glad he hadn't told Tim he was coming - a further promise broken on top of everything would probably have been it for Tim's temper - Jason deployed his grapple to swing to the ground. He would deal with this quickly, and then walk the rest of the way home. If he jogged, he could still make it, probably. It would take longer than the rooftop highway, but it was better than risking a several story fall. Merlin was either up to no good, or an escapee from one of Gotham's many mental institutes. Either way, Jason couldn't just leave him here.  
Jason's plan to sort Merlin out quickly and be on his way was derailed when his grapple anchor shifted and came free, sending Jason tumbling towards the ground, too exhausted, spent, and close to the ground to recover. To make matters worse, Merlin had heard him and was pointing his stick at him and shouting something. White engulfed Jason's vision as he tucked and tried to hold himself as limp as possible for the landing.  
This was going to hurt. Tim was going to kill him, if the fall didn't.  
He'd promised to be back for Tim's birthday, now three weeks past. He was running out of the last hour he had to make it back for their anniversary, and now he'd probably at least badly injured himself by being stupid. Tim was likely already livid, and this wouldn't help.  
No.  
Tim was probably more disappointed than angry. Jason was angry with himself though. If anyone understood dedication to a cause it was Tim, but his past was already littered with too many broken promises and empty houses.  
Jason had never wanted to add to that.

When the white cleared from Jason's vision, he found himself laying on the ground of the alley, surprisingly free of pain. He took a cautious breath - no broken ribs. His head was ringing a bit, and his back hurt, but not like it should. Jason sat up, pulling his helmet off to help with the ringing. He looked around, but Greybeard was nowhere in sight.  
Huh.  
That flash of light, the lack of broken bones. It's not too clear on what happened, but he probably owed Dumbledore his life, then. Stranger things had happened.  
A noise at the mouth of the alley drew his attention, and all Jason's breath expelled from his lungs at once - Tim. Tim stood, not more than two yards away, truly a sight for sore, Tim-deprived eyes. He looked perfect there, encased in shadow, kitted out in the Red Robin costume, which always sent a spike of possessiveness through Jason to know that Tim was wearing *his* colors, his name. Though it broke Jason's heart a bit to see Tim out here *today,* in that outfit, when he should be in a suit of a different kind, out to dinner with Jason, or better yet, wearing nothing at all as they writhed together in bed, celebrating two years of bliss-.  
Christ.  
Roy was right. He was so gone when it came to Tim. Jason hauled himself to his feet, and closed the distance, ignoring the little itch in his brain that was screaming at him that something was wrong. Tim was here, in front of him again, after far too long. Jason had made it back in time to wish his Babybird a happy anniversary. Nothing could be wrong right now.

Jason swept Tim into his embrace, dipping down to kiss him, hauling him up against him, reveling in the feel of Tim against him once more. Tim's hands came up to brace against Jason's shoulders as he pulled him in, lips crashing against his in a heated kiss. Tim was rigid in his embrace, and Jason intensified the kiss, trying to pour every ounce of his apology for being so late, his relief to have Tim with him again, and his love into the kiss.  
Tim remained unresponsive as the seconds ticked and doubt started to pour into Jason's exhausted brain. What if this was it? What if this was one too many broken promises, and Tim was done with him? No, Jason refused to accept that. He tugged the stiff form further against him, licking at the teeth which were just the slightest bit parted, pulled them crotch to crotch, taking firm hold of that sweet ass he had missed so much.  
Victory.  
Tim gasped, and Jason swooped in, delving into Tim's mouth. God, he'd missed him.

Jason yanked back with a strangled yelp when sharp teeth dug into his tongue, killing his brief euphoria at being reunited with Tim. Gloved hands shoved against his chest, forcing him backwards, to trip over his own feet and land on the ground once more. When Jason glared up at him, hand pressed to his sore mouth - he could taste blood! - he was startled to see Tim, shock in every line of him, bring his Bo-staff up in defense.  
"Babybird, what?" Jason asked, bewildered, forgetting about the pain in his tongue. Anger he understood, but shock and wariness? Why would Tim feel threatened by him? They had gotten past their rough beginning, and Jason had never hurt him, outside the sparring ring, since well before they got together. He was living by Bat-rules again, within limits. He'd even left that asshole Vlad alive!  
For now.  
He was keeping to their agreement, to at least give the system a chance, and he'd come *back*! Okay, he probably shouldn't have kissed him without making sure they were okay first, but Tim was looking at him like he'd just announced he ate babies for breakfast!

The shouting from the observant part of his brain - the one the Bat had trained, and Talia and subsequent teachers had honed, the part of him that was always thinking, observing - finally got through the fog of exhaustion and relief to draw Jason's attention to the way Tim's body language was wrongwrongwrong, how his hair barely fell across his eyes, not confined in the little ponytail Jason would never admit he found adorable. The lips that were the slightest bit red from Jason's kisses were marred by a few small scars that were a lot more pronounced than they should be. The small bulge under the glove on the ring finger of Tim's left hand - which gave Jason completely embarrassing flutters every time he saw it - was missing. There was no scar emerging from his hairline, even though Jason had *been there* when Tim got it, nearly a year ago…  
"Oh. Well shit."  
Jason extended his empty hands, palm up, trying hard to suppress a smug smirk. Well. This explained a lot. Namely, the way Tim had nearly given him a heart attack by pouncing on him in, oh, within the next few months, if he was judging the time correctly, and kissing the life out of him.

The declaration that Tim knew how he felt, so if he could 'stop sitting there like a lump and kiss me back please' was clearly unwarranted, and when Jason got back to his proper time he was going to tell his Tim that. And possibly demonstrate his kissing technique. Extensively.  
Normally Jason hated time travel, but he thought he might just make an exception this time. Especially since when he got home he'd be able to gloat to his Tim that no matter what the younger one had always claimed, *Jason* had been the one to start everything after all.  
Jason had a bone to pick with his BabyBird for the now-obvious lie, oh yes he did. He'd make him pay for it, in all the best ways.  
After he begged for forgiveness for missing their anniversary, anyway.

Though maybe when this Tim and Bruce inevitably worked their magic and figured out how to send him back to where he belonged, he could get them to send him back to *before* he'd been zapped away. He'd like to actually make it back on time for his anniversary, if he could. And what else was accidental time travel good for, anyway?  
He might have to track Merlin down too, and thank him. Accidental Time Travel beat hitting the ground from several stories up, and getting the meet this Tim again, from before they had gotten together, was just priceless. He'd buy the old Greybeard a drink, when he found him. Hell, apparently *he'd* provided the instigation for them getting together in the first place! Jason would buy him as many drinks as he wanted.  
Just as soon as he was home again.  
This Tim was cute, and Jason was looking forward to messing with him, but he'd been missing *his* Tim for a month and he wanted to get home. He had a husband waiting for him, after all.  
The End.


End file.
